YourTurn

Abstract

YourTurn (YT) is a free app that uses vibration feedback from geolocation apps to increase user safety and navigational convenience. Our app will also be able interface with pre-existing navigational visibility wearable technologies to further increase our user's experience.

What problem does this idea/product solve or what market need does it serve?

1.)Companies that sell wearable turn signal technologies for bikers, like bike jackets, bike gloves, bike helmets with LED's, and bike backpacks. Since we will be making their products cheaper by taking out their costs for making remote controls to turn on their turn signals while adding an added benefit their customers would like, automated turning signals with vibration notifications about when to turn.
2.)Everyday bikers who would use our free app that will send them vibration feedbacks so they know when to turn. Cyclists would want this since it will be more of a convenience and safer. They no longer have to be pulling over to check if they are on the correct route or have to buy a phone mount to fix this problem. Also, when bikers use the associated hardware from the companies that already sell wearable technology that we have partnered with, they will no longer have to take their hands off the handlebars or use a remote control. Everything for them will be automated.
3.)Municipalities and those who need biking data, would be another customer. Many towns and cities need more real-time data for cyclists, as they lack good actionable data for designing efficient transportation improvement projects. This can leave existing bike routes insufficiently maintained and plans for new infrastructure ineffective.

What attributes will make this idea/product successful? Why do you believe that those features will create success?

It is the first of its kind. There are numerous wearable turn signal technologies out there, but all of them still have to waste money on such things as manufacturing remote controls or having motion feedback sensors in their equipment to activate their turning signals. It would be easier to just have their turn signals automated. It would be cheaper too. It would be safer since it would mean that bikers do not have to be checking their phones while they are biking anymore. We are a centralized system for optimizing every wearable turn signal technologies. If they didn't buy it from us they would have to hire someone else to do it for them which would be more expensive and be less useful since more people would be using our app since many wearable tech companies would be already using our services.

Explain how you (your team) will execute to make this idea/product successful? What gives you (your team) an advantage over others already in the market or new to this market?

Sotero, Cedric, and Josh have worked together to make YourTurn over the summer of 2016 as a summer project, so we are invested. We are also knowledgeable about working in a group with different backgrounds since we all came in with different skill sets even though we came into similar majors. Frida and Marcos are new teammates that liked the idea when pitched at Social Fuse and were convinced in the success of the product.They also diversify our company since they come from different majors, and now we have a girl on our team. From the multiple meetings we have had thus far we have amazed ourselves because of how efficient we are working as one unit, especially since we all have different backgrounds. Another thing that will help us succeed is that our idea is expandable, basically anything with turning signals, with our app and know how can be automated. We are all freshman eager to work and see our idea come to life.

Team Leader

Raymundo Vargas

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Freshman in Computer Engineering and ILEE. I have always wanted to own a company and have helped my father run a Mexican popsicle factory for 5 years. I like to DJ, listen to EDM, and ideate, I always keep a paper and pencil with me in case one comes to mind.